Archive for June 2nd, 2009

I have been watching too many youtube women’s self-defense videos and reading the chatter on the web lately and seem to keep finding a familiar theme. An alternate universe where karate instructors seem to be pumping up the egos of women, trying to pretend they can go toe to toe with men!

Now before you (if you are a 21st century woman) start screaming at your computer screen, let me assure you that I know women CAN defend themselves against men. But do I think just because a woman has attended a self-defense course and generally buys into equality, that she understands what she is in for?

I may have worded this a little too strongly but please understand that I think realism should be injected into any woman’s fighting strategy… rather than the dribble that I see so often put forth as empowerment for women (in the form of self-defense)! I spoke to my step-daughter to try and get an understanding of why equality is bandied about so freely when speaking of self-defense and she told me that for some women – it is more important to “feel” that women are equal to men in every way.

Ok here is what I am going to do in this post:

• Point out how to overcome a stronger attacker
• Point out that women have to use strategy (i.e. surprise, explosiveness, run, awareness, or weapons to win)
• Women in the martial arts can overcome a size/strength advantage by superior skill.
• That many men attacking women will strike hard to disillusion a woman – make her more complainant.
• Woman should expect to have to fight for their lives – become an animal if they expect to survive!

I hope I have not lost you but let me open with this video and then I will go into more detail. The good news is if you are a woman – YES you CAN defend yourself against a stronger, larger man but you will have to be smart about it!

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